CCounselor         Bobbi Kizer, Ph.D. Psychotherapist
Licensed Psychologist
based in Portland, Oregon
504-390-5782

Psychological and Educational Testing

I used to conduct a fair amount of intellectual and achievement testing for multiple types of referrals. In recent years I have focused on therapy, so I am no longer taking new assessment patients. Having said this I work with many folks who have these sorts of diagnoses and am well versed at understanding assessment results and applying them to therapy work.   This testing is frequently necessary to  receive academic accommodations in school.  It is also commonly part of a social security disability determination (to assess, for example, if a person has the intellectual capacity to hold a job).   

It is common for individuals to realize that they or their dependents struggle in ways that may be related to problems with attention or learning or autism.  Others may find that they are particularly gifted in learning and would like to be admitted into programs or institutions for the Gifted and Talented.  For these sorts of issues, it is possible to receive academic accommodations, tutoring, and other resources to help encourage academic and personal success.  Depending on the issue, accommodations are frequently available in the school/university setting and can also be applied to standardized testing, such as the SAT/ACT, GRE, and LSAT.

In order to test for most learning disorders (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalcula, non-verbal learning disorder), attention problems (ADD/ADHD), and gifted/talented (significantly above average intelligence), it is typically necessary to conduct a thorough evaluation consisting of:

a) an interview of the individual and any significant stakeholders (e.g. parents/guardians)
b) an assessment of academic achievement
c) an assessment of various intellectual abilities
d) assessment of attention
e) and assessment of mood, life circumstances, and other psychological factors.

Depending on the exact need, this typically takes somewhere between 4 to 7 hours of testing time.  It may seem like a lot, but it is very important to determine where the challenges actually are.

The testing helps to determine how the struggle might (or might not) be more than strictly academic.  Sometimes there are hidden struggles with attention or mood.  For example, it is not uncommon for academic difficulties to be related to depression, anxiety, or even OCD.  Understanding all of this is quite important to ensure that the treatment (and accommodations) are appropriate for you or your child.